Saturday, April 30, 2011

The State Government is seriously considering handing over the alleged blackmailing of ISKCON to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) “in view of the gravity of the offence”, highly places sources in Bangalore police here on Tuesday. Two young men allegedly blackmailed ISKCON's Kodandarama Dasa, administrative officer (Akshaya Patre Foundation), and had extorted Rs. 3 lakh from him threatening to expose a hawala racket at the temple.

The city police arrested Balaji Subhash (26) and Naveen Subramani (20) from NTI Layout and seized electronic gadgets and the Rs. 3 lakh.

“We have recovered [recordings] of telephonic conversations between Mr. Dasa and the arrested.

The accused did discuss hawala. But Mr. Dasa claims they are fake,” a top police officer, who wished to remain anonymous, told The Hindu.